Pilgrim on the Path of Life
by Sdebeli
Summary: Years have passed since he had left his old home. Now a monk in the Temple of Fire, Naruto faces a new life with a much different set of beliefs. Faced with hard choices, and asked to make even more sacrifices on his pilgrimage, how will this new path go?
1. Prologue

**Preface: **okay, this is mostly a snippet, one chapter to vent my wave of inspiration. I'll likely continue this when the mood strikes me. A few details to keep in mind. Apart from what's revealed through stories and flashbacks, here's what you need to know

Naruto, having failed the ninja exam twice already is two years older than the others from cannon (yes, the Konoha 11, or 10 in this case as it were), which makes the others 16.

This is AU... mostly. The Naruto here is fundamentally different from those in most stories as this one focuses on his beliefs. He is a monk, and I've somewhat based this on Buddhism, and a few other things that came to mind. I'll slowly reveal stuff as I go.

Pairings, if any, are still undecided. For most part, Naruto simply doesn't stay put long enough to form a relationship of that kind.

Also, to point this out: This will decidedly not be a bashing fic. Naruto won't be a spoiled little brat that thinks only of himself, nor will he act like a ninja with different powers.

* * *

_Pilgrim on the Path of Life_

Prologue

_'The first days of spring were always the most beautiful. When life once more begins to bloom after the winter snow melts, when the first green buds spring from the ground, and the sounds of the many animals and insects once more fill the glades. To hear the songbirds once more during their night courting, to see once more the clever fox as it stalked rabbits, to enjoy the softness of the grass beneath my feet, and the sweet scent of wildflowers. Truly, it reminded one of how precious life was.'_

These were the thoughts that were going through the head of one young man as he sat down on a rock in the middle of vast field, a walking staff grasped lightly in his arm. He wasn't overly tall, nor overly short, and his clothing was simple, consisting of an orange cloth robe that covered his torso and white, baggy pants, while leaving his right shoulder and arms bare. Atop that, he had a worn brown traveling cloak. A pair of light sandals adorned his feet, and a small bag, slung over his left shoulder was all he had with him.

The face, while belonging to a eighteen-year-old, was remarkably calm, relaxed, enjoying the sight before him. Vibrant, lively blue eyes observed the waves that went across the sea of grass before him, hundreds of small flowers of every color. His slightly dirty blonds hair was tied into a long braid that fell down his back. His cheeks held one very distinguishing mark, three whiskers, barely visible against his tanned skin, on each cheek. However, the most striking par, perhaps, was the peaceful, content smile.

His name was Naruto. Just Naruto, as he would often say. The past was not something he liked to talk about very much. Not that he didn't have the subjects to talk about, simply that he didn't really care about them that much anymore.

Slowly getting up, he leaped of the rock, landing softly on the grass beneath him before walking onward. His left hand, previously covered by the cloak came out, revealing a a long rosary of obsidian prayer beads wrapped several times around it.

"If only things could remain this simple" he spoke, voice serene as he eyed the land around him. Beyond the plain he now traversed, hidden deep within the great forests of Fire Country was it's Hidden Village, once, a lifetime ago, a place he called home. Old memories stung, even if their edge was dulled by the years, and it was a pain he cared little for. It was part of him, just like the whiskers on his cheeks were, just as the force of nature that was sealed within him was. It was not something to be denied.

Even as he passed the first of the trees, he could feel several pairs of eyes watching him. There was a reason, after all, why after the first time, nearly a century ago, did no one attack the seven great monasteries. But he understood why he was being watched, he was no fool. Anyone could dress up as a monk and try to get by. It was their duty, something he understood and respected, even if he wanted no part of. A part of him, small, but still there nevertheless, was looking forward to returning to Konohagakure, even if it was only for a few days, even if it was only for a few people. It was a chapter of his life that needed to be closed if he was to retain his peace.

So, with a soft wave, clearly offered to the tracker escort he had received, and the calm question of whether they would be joining him for lunch, he continued towards Konoha.

As the first drops of rain fell on the roofs and streets, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju looked tiredly out the window of her office. For fifteen years, she had stayed away from Konoha, drowning her loss and sorrow in drinks and gambling, living from day to day, and just hoping to forget everything until her time came. So, how did she allow a kid and a grizzled pervert to convince her otherwise?

She could only chuckle quietly as she remembered the answer to her question.

"Incorrigible" she quietly mumbled, throwing the closest thing she could get her hand on, conveniently a paperweight, at the open window.

"Heh... .you sensed me already princess" spoke a voice, and moments later, Jiraya, the Toad Sage appeared out of thin air.

"Is he coming soon?" she asked quietly. Jiraya understood the tone, and his normally jovial features turned somewhat somber.

"He is, but he wont stay long" he softly stated, giving the woman a light hug from behind as he kissed her neck affectionately.

Tsunade merely sighed. Greatest amongst perverts he may be, but Jiraya was still the man she loved, and as affectionate and kind as any woman could want, when needed.

"You think we could persuade him to visit more often?" she asked, looking outside at the falling rain and crackle of thunder.

"Perhaps."

"Heh." this time it was her laugh "Look after him you old pervert."

Jiraya merely chuckled as he kissed his wife. "Look who's talking." he whispered as he sat on the couch in the office, pulling her next to him.

It was probably funny how much the situation changed in a few short hours. Naruto was certainly entertained. In a small cave, sitting around a burning fire with a pot of stew over it, were the members of the squad sent to quietly escort him to the village. From what he knew, these were all ANBU operatives, if their armor, tattoos and white masks were any indication.

"Hawk-san, might I ask you how far is Konoha from here? I have taken the scenic route, and I'm afraid I've somewhat lost my way." he asked the leader politely, quietly savoring his own plate. He was also slightly curious why they actually had a pot, plates and even cutlery. From what he had heard, most ninja carried ration bars, pills or whatnot. Not that he minded. Fresh stew was a pleasant change from the salted beef jerky and various fruits he had been eating for the past couple of days.

The captain, Hawk, looked at the teen, slightly curious as to why he would say that as he was going straight for Konoha.

"It's about half a day's journey on foot, but your direction was accurate" he quietly responded.

"Oh?" Naruto responded, quirking an eyebrow in surprise. His sense of direction was never that well, and even after learning a number of orientation skills, he still tended to get lost at times "How unusually fortunate. Thank you"

Hawk merely shrugged, returning to his stew and trying to ignore the strange monk. They were all slightly strange to him, but he knew better than to mess with people and their beliefs. Especially when said people had numerous ways of retaliating.

"I was wondering if you would mind walking with me. Since you are, after all, my escort to the village?" Naruto continued just as politely as before, a calm smile on his face.

"I don't see why not captain" one of the others commented.

"Alright." Hawk accepted, resisting the urge to sigh. He knew that this was going to be an annoying mission. Well, at least they could wait until the rain stopped. While it was no real issue, even veteran ninja preferred to stay dry.

Naruto merely nodded, before standing up and walking out into the rain, to the slight shock of the others present.

"Well? Shall we?" he politely asked, not in the least moistened by the falling rain and completely ignoring the looks they were giving him as he turned and walked on.

"Hey captain? I know he's supposed to be a high priority escort, but who is he?" a member of the group, face covered with a ram mask, asked. Hawk once more, resisted, futilely the urge to sigh.

"That's on a _need_ to know basis Ram. And you don't _need_ to know. Suffice to say that he is a monk of the Fire Temple on his pilgrimage and that Tsunade-sama and Jiraya-sama will have our heads should as much as a hair be out of place once he arrives." Hawk explained as the group packed to follow the young man.

Naruto kept his eyes closed as he walked, opening them every now and then to make sure his course hadn't changed. He loved the spring rain. His thin sandals did little to protect him from the mud and wet grass, though he didn't mind. A part of the teachings of the Temple was to appreciate nature at it's best and at it's worst, and he had done both. This faint coldness he felt was refreshing and little more...

As the ANBU joined him, he slowly began murmuring, near silently repeating the words of the evening mantras, one after another.

He knew that they watched him, and that they, apart for their leader, knew next to nothing about his order, and eyed him suspiciously, probably wondering if he was a spy or something. Once, he would have probably laughed at a thought like that, in all it's foolishness, but he was no longer a little boy who dreamed of becoming Hokage. He had long since forsaken the path of the shinobi, and he had no intention of returning.

For all things in life one has to pay a price. This was a bitter truth that Naruto had learned on his own skin a long time ago. And it wasn't always the person that made the debt that had to pay. Until he made his peace with the place of his origin, the peace he had found would be little more than a port in a storm. Obviously, he felt no need to rush.

The mantras as always took a while to complete, but they chased away any unneeded thoughts as he slowly emptied his mind. He could still remember his first days at the temple, when the current leader of the Fire Temple, Chiriku, bluntly pointed out all of his flaws and failings, merely to ask him 'What do you want to do about it?' afterward.

_(Flashback, Four years ago, the Temple of Fire)_

"Tell me Naruto, what do you see here?" a young man kindly asked a much younger Naruto. Both of them were dressed in simple orange robes over white cloth pants.

"A river?" Naruto quickly responded, not understanding the question.

"True, though I was more referring to the water and the rock around which it flows." the man explained, bringing up a confused look from Naruto. "Just watch it for a few moments and tell me what you see."

"The river... flows around the rock?" he weakly tried, only to smile brightly when the other person nodded.

"But I still don't understand how this helps me with my martial arts..." he mumbled, squatting next to the river, a hand on is chin as he eyed the river suspiciously, and the other man stood silent, already used to the sight of Naruto's thinking pose.

"Waaaait a minute." he finally spoke "You want _me_ to _flow_ around my enemy while fighting?" nod "Like dodging, deflecting, jumping, and using his own strength and momentum to disable him with minimal effort?" another nod, and this time a slightly proud smile.

"Exactly Naruto, you understand it now. One of the oaths we have both taken prohibits us from attacking first, but that doesn't mean we do not defend ourselves or others." he stopped for a moment.

"Life is a treasure Naruto, to waste it needlessly is a foolish thing, but to take it without need... is cruel beyond words" the man finished, once more repeating the tenants they both followed.

"Hai Chiriku-sensei. I understand" Naruto replied, now mesmerized by the river flowing around a rock.

_(End of flashback)_

He was such a fool back then, so little understanding of the world. It was then that he also learned the difference between knowing and understanding, something that so many fail to do throughout their entire life.

"Knowledge without understanding is like power without control, a sword without a hilt." he murmured, once more attracting the attention of the ANBU around him "It does damage, but not always to it's intended victim."

Another of the wise words his teacher had taught him.

Time slowly passed as they went, and the rain eventually stopped. By then, the great gates of Konoha were in sight. The prodigal child had returned a man. He could only chuckle at the irony.

"Halt! Identify yourself." one of the two gate guards in front of them shouted. Security protocol, as useful as it was, didn't interest him that much.

"Captain Hawk, of the sixth unit escorting Naruto of the Fire Temple to see the Hokage." Hawk immediately responded, while Naruto offered a polite nod, not bothering to speak while his ANBU escort handled the formalities. Ina few minutes, the papers and credentials were checked, and the side door to the great gates opened, letting the six of them inside.

It was.... nostalgic to see Konoha once more. The crowds of people that filled the streets, the tall buildings, shops, and the shinobi. Once, he wanted their attention focused on him, their acknowledgment, anything. Now? He felt crowded, and needed nothing more than to find some peace and silence. His slight nervousness showed.

"First time in a shinobi village, huh?" Ram curiously asked.

"Mhm." Naruto confirmed with a nod and murmur "I am somewhat unused to crowds. The worst I had to deal with was the Daimyo's entourage." he commented quietly, barely heard against the hustle around him as he made his way towards the Hokage tower. Even though night had fallen, Konohagakure was still very much alive. He noticed a familiar sign on one of the shops, and decided that it would be prudent to pay a visit. Slowly turning towards the small ramen stands named 'Ichiraku Ramen', Naruto gave a short nod to captain Hawk, and the man understood, letting him go unopposed.

It was just like he remembered it from five years ago, though the chairs were definitely new. Even the girl that worked there, old man Teuchi's daughter, Ayame was still there. And he had to admit, she had grown even prettier over the five years of his absence. The place was otherwise empty... _'Must be near closing time.'_

"Hello, welcome to Ichiraku Ramen. What can I get you?" she asked politely, not recognizing him at all. It hurt slightly, he had to admit, tough it was understandable.

"I would like a miso ramen." he ordered, taking one of the seats right in front of her.

"Coming right up. Dad! One miso ramen!" she called to the back, where the kitchen was

"Alright!" came the bellowing voice of her father. Naruto could once more only chuckle, as it reminded him of the oh so many times he had come here. His face dropped slightly when he noticed one of the framed pictures on the wall. Himself in his orange jumpsuit, along with Ayame and Teuchi, taken right in front of the stand.

"Are you alright sir?" Ayame asked cautiously "Sir?"

"Uhm... sorry, I got lost in thought" Naruto casually responed.

"Oka... Naruto?" she started before the realization struck her, and a mixture of a wide grin and tears adorned her face when he nodded. Instantly, she bounded around the counter to hug the young man.

"Dad! Get over here, it's Naruto! He's back!" she shouted to the back. Moments later, the slightly more aged face of Teuchi Ichiraku popped out of the kitchen.

"Well, what do you know. He finally found a legitimate excuse to wear orange!" the older man joked, something that Naruto knew was his own way of dealing with seeing the boy he had seen as an adopted son after five years.

"What can I say?" Naruto returned, somewhat lamely "How have the two of you been?"

"Oh, nothing special." Ayame responded, surprised that she was actually looking _up_ at Naruto, rather than the other way around. Not to mention that beneath the cloak and robe, he was actually quite good-looking. Her little brother was going to be a lady killer, she idly thought "I got married among other things." she added, waiting for a reaction.

"Really? Congratulations." Naruto responded immediately with a warm smile and a hug."Who's the lucky guy?"

"Oh, ah chunin you know. Remember Iruka?" she stated, smiling.

"Why wouldn't I?" he replied, his formerly bright smile slowly turning sad. He still remembered the night he had fled

"Hm. Now, what have you been doing for the last five years? And better yes, why did you leave without saying goodbye?" Ayame practically pouted at him, and he couldn't resist but laughing at his sister figure from the past, even as Teuchi shook his head and laughed as well.

"Hey Ayame-chan!" came a loud, mostly cheerful voice from the front door "Where are y....?"

Naruto turned around to now see the gaping face of one Umino Iruka, one of his few friends in Konoha before he left.

"Naruto?" he half whispered.

* * *

**Author's notes:**This was originally supposed to be a short snippet, but I just kept writing. Consider it an introduction to a new story. A few details.

Naruto has a couple of rules he upholds:

-Pacifism. Don't attack unless attacked first.

-Cherishing of life. Do not kill unless there is no other option.

-Detachment from physical matters. Do not concern yourself with fortune, own only what little you need.

-Humility. Act not in arrogance, nor let it cloud your judgment.

-Calmness. Rule your emotions, not the other way around.

-Generosity. Share your bread with those less fortunate.

-Secrecy. The secrets of the monastery are so for a reason. Protect them.

These are the rules Naruto follows, as it is quite obvious, there is a loot of leeway for interpretation, especially the first and second rule (it says nothing about provoking your enemies into say, attacking someone close, therefore making his death the only option to ensure safety of said person).

Also, while there will be combat, Naruto will not be using any ninja abilities, even the shadow clones he does know. It's a mater of principle.

For those who don't know what it is, a rosary is a set of prayer beads, strung together on a length of rope. While this term usually refers to the Christian rosary, it can also refer to a prayer tool used by a number of other religions.


	2. Shadows of the Distant Past

**Author's Ramblings:** Okay, among other things I've decided, is the fact that this timeline will take a lot longer to unfold than it did originally. So, the majority of the rookies are genin or chunin tops, and they still often operate in the same teams. Also a few skills (notably seals and summoning) are designated in this story as belonging to the monks, but given to ninja to use as they saw fit in a gift. I will not enter detailed discussion of this subject here, but that is the reasoning behind Naruto's use of said skills, even if shinobi use them.

* * *

_Chapter 1 : Shadows of the Distant Past_

Naruto turned around to now see the gaping face of one Umino Iruka, one of his few friends in Konoha before he left.

"Naruto?" he half whispered.

"Hello Iruka. It is good to see you again." Naruto responded with a somewhat guarded, but nonetheless real smile. "Come on in, have a seat. I was just about to speak of the last five years"

The older man could only gape at him. Really, there wasn't much he could say, except perhaps 'Hey Naruto, how are you? Where the fuck have you been these past five years and why the hell did you run off?'. Not exactly a conversation starter, that. So, he did as asked, taking a seat next to Ayame, and Teuchi, who had used the short break to flip the 'open' sign, signifying that the stand was closed for the day before he joined them.

Sitting at the opposite side of a table, and watching three people he practically considered family, all the while gently stroking his walking staff with his right hand, while his left remained conspicuously hidden by his cloak.

"Let's see..." Naruto began, eyes taking that far away look "I think it would be best if I started at the beginning. Some ten years ago, while recovering from the... consequences of pranking the ANBU, I was in the park. The one in the east of Konoha if I remember correctly. I was moping around, lamenting my loneliness, I suppose."

Naruto spoke, his left hand suddenly going for the bag he had put down next to him to pull out a small gourd, filled with water. Momentarily, they spotted the beads around his arm, though only Iruka understood their significance.

"While I was sitting down, feeling sorry for myself, a young man, no older than twenty in appearance approached me. I still remember thinking how funny he looked, dressed in orange robes, with three small red dots lined on his forehead. He sat down next to me, and kindly asked me what I was sad for, to which I responded something silly, denying it. Perhaps should have known better, as he obviously saw through it, and pressed on. In the end, I told him everything, that is, everything I knew back then. And he listened, and didn't leave, even when the glares from the passerby's focused on me. When I finished my tale, he spoke of his. He told me he was a monk at the Fire Temple, out on his pilgrimage. He spoke warmly of the temple, of some of it's teachings and beliefs, before he had to leave. I didn't really care much back then, content that I had someone to talk to, even if it was for a short time, and the conversation sank to the back of my head over time."

He paused, taking a chug out of the gourd to moisten his throat. Fresh spring water, with added herbs, left to meld for two weeks.

"Years passed, and my academy life was anything but good. I learned little, partly in thanks to the fact that a number of teachers ignored me, and party to the fact that I acted out, hoping to attract any attention. And so, I failed the first attempt to graduate, the early test. It was the first blow to my confidence, and perhaps when my dream of becoming Hokage slowly began to die. Next year, I failed again, and by then, nearly half of my generation were either ninja, or had given up on the academy, choosing to settle down as civilians. And then it came, the final sixth year, and my last chance to become a ninja. For the first time in those six years, I worked hard. I studied, I trained, I actually made up for all the slacking over the years... but thanks to a man with a grudge and lust for power, it wasn't enough. Mizuki, in order to have a scapegoat to cover for his escape with the Scroll of Forbidden Seals, sabotaged my exam, and caused me to fail, only to offer an alternative to the test. And so, later that night, I sneaked into the Hokage Tower, and stole the scroll. I still don't know how, or even why I managed to do so, I guess I had something to prove. Two hours later, I was sitting in a clearing, just outside of Konoha, while a number of ninja were after me. To my great pleasure, I had learned to perform one of the jutsu inside, just like Mizuki told me to, the Shadow Clone jutsu. I remember the elation at thinking that I was finally going to pass, that I was finally going to become a ninja, and that after so long, I was finally one step closer to my dream. Before it all came crashing down. Iruka no doubt told you what happened that night. I was broken by those events, irrevocably so. After he and Mizuki lost consciousness, I stood by long enough to make sure Iruka's wounds wouldn't kill him, left the scroll next to him, and then I fled.

Back then I wasn't sure where I was going, whether this was a permanent thing, or if I would return soon. I just ran, and ran, and ran, as far as my feet would take me, crying the entire time. I didn't notice the rain beginning to fall, nor the cold wind that was beginning to blow. Eventually, I stopped, taking shelter in a cave I came across, and realizing that I was completely and utterly lost. I also realized that the cave wasn't empty, as near the back, I noticed a figure, meditating. Not that I knew what that was at the time..." he trailed off, content to have brought a chuckle from Iruka, while he took another sip from the gourd, enjoying the strong taste of the herbal brew.

"As I approached, I realized it was the same monk I met four years earlier. Despite my first impulse to do so, I didn't disturb his meditations, and I sat down, next to the small fire he had going, warming my hands and feet a bit. After a few minutes, the monk opened his eyes, and greeted me, asking politely what was I doing outside the village during a storm such as this... and I told him everything, not thinking of the consequences. Not the smartest move on my account, I'll admit, but everything turned out well, so I won't complain. Eventually, he offered me three choices. He could take me back to the village, let me go wherever I wanted, and maybe offer an escort partway, or..." Naruto chuckled here, lightly, as good memories came back "He finally offered to take me to the Fire Temple. I didn't know it back then, but the man's name was Chiriku, the current leader of the Fire temple monastery, and he was actually closer to forty years, but due to a very healthy life not to mention constant exercise, he retained his youthful appearance." he explained, pointedly ignoring the slight twitch on Iruka's face.

"And so, certain that I had nothing to return to, I accepted his third offer, traveling with him towards the Fire Temple. The rest, as they say, is history. I was accepted there, even with full knowledge of what I held sealed within me, they didn't seem to care. In fact, some among them tended to make jokes on the subject. It was... different, to say the least. For the first time in my life I felt not only accepted, but also welcomed somewhere. That wasn't to say that their training and teaching methods weren't brutal, but that is a story for another time." Naruto finished, and silence once more reigned in the small ramen shop, as the others slowly absorbed the information.

Quietly, he got up, placing the gourd back into his bag.

"I look forward to talking again, say tomorrow? I need to go and meet the Hokage now, I'm afraid." he quietly explained, receiving nods from the three, to which he merely smiled as he walked out.

"To think, my little brother's all grown up" Ayame finally stated, a tear of pride welling up in her eyes, while a genuinely happy smile spread along her lips, a state which was mirrored by the other two.

Outside, smiling serenely, Naruto continued his march towards the Hokage tower, escorted by Hawk alone, as the others had broken, probably on his orders. He had spent some thirty minutes inside, the story taking long to tell due to the many breaks he made. But he was happy, apart from the people he was about to go and see, those three were the closest he had in his life.

So, content, he returned to his observations. Konoha had prospered, though the scares of the many battles were still visible. The streets were slowly growing empty, and it was quieting down, the end of the day fast approaching. Unlike civilian towns, shinobi villages operated along different timetables, meaning that most shops stayed open constantly as ninja activity didn't drop because of nightfall.

Hawk carefully observed his charge. He had seen a lot of things during his career, but the boy he was now escorting was probably in the top five. Of course he knew of the Kyuubi jinchuriki, who among the ANBU didn't? Both for who and what he was, and for the fact that the copies of his pranking runs from long ago were still used to train rookies in tactical thinking, without exposing them to lethal harm. And even if he wasn't present, he was aware of the youth's part in defending Konoha during the siege a year ago, not to mention convincing Tsunade Senju to return and take the mantle of Hokage. However, at the same time, the blond man frightened him to some extent.

Shinobi, through years of experience developed a number of additional senses that kept them alive through missions. Among such senses was the infamous 'angry woman/wife/girlfriend' sense, and the far less famous, but more important sense that allowed them to keep an image of the people around them. This worked on the simple principle that all people exuded chakra in minuscule amounts, and in the institution of intent. Now, the first was easy to understand, but it was the second that was truly important. One of the consequences of actively using chakra for generations was the fact that it became colored by emotions. Even civilians had it to some amount. The only ones you couldn't sense that way were newborn infants, veteran infiltration ninja, and more experienced monks. Now where do you think Naruto fit in? Add to that the fact that he had an entity of such power sealed within, and yet he showed no strain.

Hence, the scary part. Hawk actually had to look at him to keep track of where he was. His presence simply wasn't there, his footsteps were perfectly silent, his scent was nonexistent. And people wondered why no one attacked the sever great monasteries. It wasn't really that hard to understand. Unlike shinobi, the monks were perfectionists, and they could afford to dedicate a decade to training a single skill to and above the peak of human ability, and worryingly enough, they often tended to do just that.

His train of thought was interrupted by their timely arrival to the tower itself, now empty apart for the office on the top floor, and the many guards that patrolled it. The two of them strolled in, unopposed by them, and Hawk proceeded to escort Naruto to the top floor, only to leave him in front of the door.

"This is where we part ways Naruto-san. I wish you luck in your endeavors." Hawk politely, and formally saluted the man, before turning and walking away.

"And I to you as well Hawk-san." he spoke back, before knocking softly on the door.

"Enter." came the voice he immediately recognized as... Jiraya?

"Welcome." the perverted sage greeted, a megawatt grin on his face, while Tsunade herself, was asleep on the couch "Do you want to wake sleeping beauty or should I?"

And once more, Naruto could do nothing but laugh, and Jiraya joined him moments later, gesturing for him to take a seat in front of the desk, while he went to wake up Tsunade.

"Princess, he's here." Jiraya whispered, and the two of them were immediately treated to Tsunade jumping from the couch, and hugging the younger blond.

"Naruto!" came the shout that left ringing in his ears, even if he couldn't feel even a bit angry about it. He really didn't mind if Tsunade was going to be a bit more emotional, it was a vast improvement over her previous state. So, he endured the suffocating hug, and didn't glare at Jiraya who was laughing at him.

Soon after, they all took seats around the desk, with Jiraya and Tsunade drinking sake, and Naruto his herbal brew from his gourd.

"So tell me Naruto, what brings you back to Konoha? The pervert here," she stated, pointing at Jiraya, who merely huffed "mentioned something about a pilgrimage."

"It's my time Tsunade." Naruto replied, nodding seriously.

"I have finished the initiations over the past five years, and now it is the time for me to take my pilgrimage to the other monasteries."

Tsunade listened carefully, putting her hands beneath her chin.

"I see... and how long will that take?" she asked cautiously.

"That depends. Pilgrimages can take anywhere between a year, and one's entire life." Naruto responded, somewhat lost in thought "The purpose of the pilgrimage isn't to visit the monasteries themselves, but to increase a pilgrim's knowledge and understanding of both himself and the world around him or her. Some are content with their growth after a few months or years, while others decide to observe the world through constant travel. It's a personal decision left to every pilgrim. However, by tradition, and because of the inherent challenge in it, every pilgrim strives to visit the seven great monasteries at least once during his lifetime. From what I understand, Chiriku-sensei has done it at least a dozen times so far. But enough of that. How have the two of you been doing?"

Both smirked, and looked at each other before responding.

"Nicely." they said simultaneously, with a grin that told him they were hiding something, in a 'rub-it-in-your-face' way.

"Naruto, there is something we need to talk about" Jiraya stated, face turning a bit more serious.

"The Akatsuki again?" he responded, a slight hint of irritation present in his tone.

"This time, no. We kinda need a favor." Tsunade responded this time, slightly more sullen.

"What is it this time?" Naruto asked in a slightly annoyed voice. Both Jiraya and Tsunade let it pass, considering just what they stuck him with last time.

"Actually, there's a rookie team heading for a mission along the western border. You were heading for Wind country, correct?" Jiraya asked.

"Hmm. I am. And what do you wish me to do? Babysit them?" Naruto asked curiously.

"The daughter of a friend of mine is traveling towards the capitol of Wind country, which is along the southern coast. The ninja are supposed to act as an escort, though I'm not feeling too sure just sending her off like that with just one team, and none of the other teams are available right now."

"So, where do I come in?"

"That would depend on where in Wind country you were going." she explained.

"I'm heading for the capitol... I suppose I could escort her there, it wouldn't increase my traveling time by more than a few days."

"Good. You will be the second civilian client in the group. Here's the main subject." Tsunade stated, passing a small report to Naruto

"Wait a second... you're sending the Daimyo's daughter with a genin escort?"

"Chunin escort, and a jounin sensei to boot. Still, I would feel more comfortable if you were to help out."

I see. Alright, I'll help out. It should prove entertaining in the least. When do they depart?"

"In the morning. 10:00 sharp, to be exact, west gate. The team in question is team 10, under Sarutobi Asuma. I believe you know him?"

"Asuma? Yes, I've had the distinct pleasure of meeting the man during his stay in the Guard. Seemed decent, intelligent, if a bit hotheaded at times." Naruto sagely commented, his right hand stroking his chin. "Tomorrow morning you say? Just enough time to finish my other business here. Alright... but that means I can't stay to chat much longer. Oh, and I almost forgot.." Naruto trailed off, smiling.

"Chiriku-sensei sends his regards." he said, taking out a small package from his bag and passing it to Tsunade.

"Is this what I think it is...?"

"Of course. Our home brew, the finest plum sake in Fire country. Better even than that the Daimyo himself drinks!" he stated, proudly. And he had every right to be so, as for a hundred years, the monks had brewed a hundred bottles every year, each one of them different, until they perfected it some twenty years ago. Ever since, the so called Dragon Plum Sake was considered a connoisseur's delicacy. A gift from the head of the temple spoke much, considering that it was never sold, only gifted.

Accepting the package, they began talking about many things, from recent events, to the weather and even writing (in Jiraya's case). Time passed quickly, and soon enough, it was midnight, high time for Naruto to leave if he wanted to catch some sleep.

"Enjoy yourselves." he said, quietly sneaking out while Tsunade and Jiraya opened the first of the two bottles inside. Neither spotted it, but they didn't have to, they already knew it. Naruto was smiling as he walked out.

The first reason of his visit complete, Naruto turned to the second one. The village was blissfully void of obvious people. Certainly, there were shinobi, but they were as quiet as death, it was in their nature to be so. But one truly curious thing was that he could hear crickets and night birds. Normally, such sounds didn't exist within a well developed area, as the birds and insects fled outside, but Konoha was different in that aspect, apparently.

Still, his goal was a far quieter area of the village. Nestled along it's eastern wall, was the Memorial. While Konoha had another memorial stone, dedicated to those who were KIA (killed in action), over time, that stone was filled with too many names to count, and there was no more room. So, the previous authorities here erected a new monument to honor the fallen, hence the Memorial, a number of large black granite plates, with names carved in white on the surface.' _Fitting for a shinobi_' he quietly mused at the slightly ironic situation, though he truly wasn't in the mood for laughing.

Every name on the black slab belonged to a hero, to a man, woman or child even, who had given up their lives so that others could live. It was something to be respected, not spit upon. Gently tracing the carvings with his left hand, he searched for three names.

"Namikaze Kushina and Namikaze Minato." he softly intoned upon reaching the two names "Mother. Father." there was no anger, nor tears. While he was sad that he would never get to meet his parents, he couldn't truly miss them. There couldn't be an absence of presence, when there was no presence to begin with. Still, he felt the need, no, _duty_ to life his life in a way that would make them proud. They had given their lives so that he, and everyone else would have a chance. He would honor that sacrifice.

The final name he looked for belonged to another precious person.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen." he gently traced the last name, and couldn't help but smile fondly at the memory of the man who had in truth done so much for him. Certainly, the decision to hide his lineage and the presence of the Kyuubi from him were far from the wisest he had made, but considering just how weakened Konoha was at that point... to be fair, he didn't have a right to complain. He had done all that was in his power.

"May your souls find peace in the next life." he quietly spoke, kneeling down to the small sand-covered area to light three sticks of incense, one for each. The sweet smell of burning sandalwood was soon felt against the scent of moist sand and stone, just as three thin plumes of smoke arose.

It was in truth a farewell, as he didn't know how long he would stay away. It could be merely a couple of weeks, or it could be years. But regardless, he had come to make his peace with this place. And he would do so.

"Can you perhaps see me from up there?" he wondered, the words leaving his mouth in a wistful tone. "What would you say if you could? Would you be proud of the person I became? Or ashamed that I had to flee to find myself?"

Slowly, but surely, the first drops of rain once more began falling.

"Even the heavens cry... it can't be that I was that bad." he said, softly smiling as he knelt to offer a prayer. A minute later, he stood up, slowly walking away a couple of steps.

"I don't know if you're watching, but I sure hope that you do. I have made my decision, and chosen my path. I will not stray from it." he whispered, looking at the skies above, his already wet hair falling down as it's increased weight pulled it. Letting out another chuckle, he lowered his face, and after making sure that the staff was held strongly by his right hand, walked off into the night.

Certainly, there was some place a monk could find to pass the night.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** And there we go. Short chapter, but meaningful I would say. Just so you know, there will be combat in the next chapter, well, it's likely at least, so you'll get a chance to see just what Naruto is capable off.

Here's one more detail that explains how monks progress. The first stage is the Initiate, these are generally children between the ages of seven and nine, taken in to be taught, or chosen as promising by the various fully fledged monks.

Second stage would be Apprentice, one who has passed the first initiation, and grown sufficiently to be trusted with some of the temple's secrets.

After a period of five years from becoming initiates, most apprentices take their second initiation, becoming Pilgrims. This stage is the tricky one, as many never decide to leave it, and it's mostly descriptive.

Above that, those who complete their pilgrimage become Monks, while those wit the deepest understanding, wisdom and knowledge, over decades, become the elders, among which a single man (or woman) is chosen as leader.

But enough for now. I don't want to reveal too much. I almost forgot, chapter size will slowly grow until a certain point.

Tell me what you think, regardless :D


	3. The Journey West

**Author's Ramblings:** Hey everyone, here's another chapter, I'm sort of on a roll now, so why not use the inspiration while it lasts, right?

Well, I don't have much to say about this chapter that can't wait until the end notes, but here's something interesting to consider concerning cannon, for those who read it.

In number 490. Kabuto showed a a final body to Madara, and here's my theory. It's the corpse of Madara Uchiha. Reasoning to it? Madara is basically incorporeal most of the time, and the only times he showed as 'corporeal' was to manipulate Deidara's mines as Tobi, or use his Hiding Like a Mole technique. What if he's basically a ghost preserved by the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan? He stated (if I remember correctly) that he wanted Nagato to use 'that' jutsu on him, and it's relatively safe to assume that he talked about the resurrection that Nagato pulled on the people of Konoha, though how it would work is disputable. For everything else, his Sharingan (and we all know how much Kishimoto loves that bloodline, not to mention Sasuke... urgghhh) would cover. It would explain a number of details...

Then again it could be complete and utter bullshit.. who knows? I felt the need to share this thought.

Back to the story at hand. I know promised a fight, but honestly, I just couldn't put it in properly here. It was already getting too drawn out.

* * *

_Chapter 2 : The Journey West_

_(09:55, Konoha's west gate)_

Asuma Sarutobi nervously twirled his trench knives in his hands. He did not like the fact that his team was supposed to escort another high profile charge to Wind country. The Daimyo's daughter was a strategic nightmare already... thankfully she at least knew how to defend herself. However, the Hokage didn't even explain who the second person was, merely that he would likely recognize them. A lot of help did that do, for during his time as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja he had met quite a number of important people.

Apart from him there were three others present. The one closest to him Shikamaru Nara, dressed in a standard chunin outfit consisting of black pants, an equally black, long sleeved padded shirt, and a olive green chunin vest. His hair was tied into a pineapple shaped ponytail. The boy was also in what would seem to be deep sleep, even though he was simply taking a nap. Rank: chunin, specialized in his family's shadow jutsu and strategy.

The second was a blond girl, Ino Yamanaka, half of her hair tied into a long ponytail that fell behind her shoulders, while the rest covered her left eye. She was dressed in a somewhat skimpy purple outfit, though white bindings covered much of her body. She was taking her time to file her nails with her kunai. Rank: genin, specialized in her family's mind jutsu and interrogation.

And finally the third, Chouji Akimichi, a large youth(though some might call him fat) dressed in black pants, a white , short-sleeved shirt and a green vest over it Unsurprisingly, the boy was eating something. Rank: genin, specialized in close-range combat of all sorts thanks to his family's expansion jutsus.

"Oi, Asuma-sensei, when are those two going to show up?" Ino asked, her voice ripe with irritation. _'She always was impatient'_ Asuma dryly thought.

"They'll get here when they do. You can't expect to rush royalty Ino." it was Shikamaru who answered, even though his eyes were still closed.

"Shika's right... and it's not even ten yet, so they aren't late." Chouji added his two cents, making a short break between his snacks. "So calm down Ino. Want a snack?"

"Don't you think about anything but food Chouji?" she asked, waving her hands in defeat. "You'll never get a date that... with your current looks" she stated, carefully avoiding to say fat. Bad things happened when someone called Chouji fat, fatso or any such insulting name.

"Oh? And perhaps he should diet like you did before the graduation?" Shikamaru once more messed around with her head, something that brought him an indignant snort from the young kunoichi, but she ceased her messing with Chouji regardless, opting to once more file her nails.

Together, the four of them made up team 10, one of the best rookie teams in the village. Normally, all three of them would have reached the rank of Chunin by now, but with the chaotic aftermath of the invasion of Konoha by the combined forces of Sand and Sound, orchestrated by Orochimaru, and the death of his father... some things were simply left for later.

He knew that as long as it was not over B-rank the team could handle it. In fact, their excellent mission summary, along with Asuma's former stay in the Daimyo's service was what prompted her to choose this team for the mission. Unofficially that is. Officially, it was the lack of jounin and chunin, as well as the need for discretion. So why exactly did she add another person to the list? His questions were about to get a very concrete answer, as he noticed two people walking down the street.

The first one, was a young woman in her early twenties, shoulder length auburn hair, dressed in a training kimono with a pair of.. somethings attached to her belt. _Lady _Mikase Shijimi, the daughter of the Fire daimyo. Not that one would be able to tell, due to the way she acted. Mikase was no daddy's little girl, and she resembled her mother only by the color of her eyes and hair. Everything else, was a direct copy of her grandfather from her fathers side physically, and of her father mentally, leaving a very capable woman. However, he had met lady Mikase already, so she wasn't that much of a surprise (his team was another matter completely). No, it was her companion that shocked him.

A monk of the Fire Temple, and the apprentice of his long-time friend Chiriku, Naruto. And the boy had grown since he had last seen him three years ago. Oh _this _was going to be good. The boy was definitely on his pilgrimage if the clothes and traveling supplies were any indication, he knew as much from the stories he had heard first hand, meaning that he was already very capable... and if he was traveling with them to the capitol of Wind country, they were basically set. Not to mention that it wouldn't hurt his team to learn a bit more about the world outside of Konoha.

He grinned widely at the shocked faces of Ino and Chouji, while Shikamaru merely watched... likely thinking it was too troublesome to show surprise.

"Greetings. Are you and your team to be our escort Asuma-san?" the woman politely asked, giving a slight bow. Even though her clothes were slightly dirty, her regal bearing left little doubt as to who she was.

"Hai lady Mikase. It is good to see you again." Asuma spoke, giving the woman a small bow. "And you as well Naruto. How has life treated you?"

"It has treated me well Asuma-san. I am glad to see you again. Sensei would have sent his greetings as well, had he known we would meet." Naruto responded, offering the same courtesy to Asuma.

Beside the three of them, the rest of team 10 were watching in no small amount of wonder. That woman was the daughter of the daimyo? She looked more like one of their own, if it wasn't for her bearing and presence. Still, the two objects at her waist, two small black cylinders, whatever they were, looked worn from use, and were likely weapons of some sort.

The other figure, one by the name of Naruto was... strange to them, to say the least. He seemed as harmless as a puppy, content, peaceful, like one of those kindly old sages that spent their years in quiet study and meditation. However, as most who had met those kindly old sages knew, said sages had more than a few tricks in their decades old sleeves.

Shikamaru was the one who observed the most. The man's piercing blue eyes didn't belong on one who didn't know combat, and the well developed muscles, as well as the predatory gait spoke of years of harsh training and practice. He bore himself peacefully, and yet, to any who knew to tell the signs, he spoke of power concealed. How much was beside the question, the man was not to be underestimated.

"Allow me to introduce my team. Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji." Asuma introduced, pointing them out one by one.

"A pleasure to meet you." the young monk offered, giving Shikamaru, who was the closes a hand in greeting, and extending the same gesture to the others, offering a polite bow to Ino instead. Mikase on the other hand merely nodded.

"When do we leave? Unfortunately, I have a schedule to follow." Mikase asked, slight annoyance at the fact obvious. Asuma took a long drag from his cigarette, finishing it off, and smothering it against the wall.

"We are prepared to leave now, if the two of you are." he responded, earning small nods from them.

Without a further word, they turned toward the gates, Chouji and Ino forward, Mikase and Naruto in the middle, while Shikamaru and Asuna kept the back.

Naruto idly noted that the skies had cleared up from last night, but that the ground was still wet, and that even so late after the sun had gone up, the grass still had droplets of water everywhere, while the road had a number of small puddles scattered here and there. He kept his attention to such details.

In the front, he could hear Ino and Chouji talking, though he didn't pay much attention to the subject. He had noted that next to him, the princess was paying much more attention to her surroundings then the last time they met... though he was hardly any better back then.

"He's weird." Ino quietly spoke to Chouji after she was sure that they were a bit ahead of them, so that they couldn't hear. "And she's scary"

"I've heard stuff about those monks from Asuma sensei, and from Shika's dad. They're supposed to be extremely skilled, but this guy looks so peaceful, so, so..."

"Harmless?" Offered a helpful voice.

"Yes, harmless." Chouji confirmed, not thinking for a moment to whom the voice belonged.

"I try." the same voice added, and only then did Chouji around to notice the smiling face of the young monk.

"Ehm... sorry?" Chouji tried, while Ino tried to ignore the situation, and not attract attention to herself.

"No problem. I understand if I am somewhat... different from what you're used to." Naruto responded in a polite manner, a chuckle escaping his lips, though none of them knew what he was laughing at. He knew, and he savored the irony. Life could be so strange at times...

In the back, Asuma smiled at the interaction. As much as Naruto had grown and changed, some parts of his old personality still remained. Shikamaru was interested, which was a curiosity in itself, and he seemed to be trying to figure the blond out. He could barely suppress an evil grin at the thought. If there was one trait he was sure Naruto had retained, it was his complete and utter unpredictability.

He wondered though. Chiriku had rarely spoken of Naruto's training, though his pride of the boy was obvious. How much had the boy grown from the child who had failed his genin exam the third time in a row?

Mikase herself was bored. Sure, she kept her eyes on the road and the surroundings, but that did only so much. She had known Naruto for quite a while, and it was to him that she owed her self confidence and skill.

Four years ago, she had met him while visiting the Fire Temple with her father....

_(Flashback, Four years ago, night, Fire Temple)_

"Again!" the shout broke the silence of the night, for what was the fifteenth time in the past hour or so, and Mikase had enough. Why did this buffoon had to keep her up? Wasn't he aware that a princess needed her beauty sleep?

While she was no queen (princess) bitch, she had a very long day, and traveling was something she so far didn't enjoy much. After all, there were no interesting people to meet, and most of the monks where old geezers, with little to discuss with children.

So, slightly infuriated, she got up from her bed, dressed in nothing but a nightgown, and took a warm kimono to walk outside. The two monks she had met on the way were deep in meditation, though they both gave her a short greeting. She didn't pay much attention.

The wide courtyard was covered with a thin layer of snow, some water having frozen in several places, forming higher mounds. On the distant side, she could spot a small training ground, and a single figure standing there.

"Again!" the same figure shouted once more, and the rhythmic sounds of hands hitting stone were once more heard. Someone was insane to stand outside, at this weather and train?

Quietly, she walked closer, to spot a boy, a few years younger than her, barefooted, and dressed in nothing but his pants, literally steaming off as he dealt blow after blow to a large slab of rock. His knuckles were bruised and bloodied, but he still didn't stop. She couldn't say that he didn't look attractive, in fact, physically, all monks were very attractive, both male and female, a likely result of years of harsh physical training. Only, until now, she had no idea how harsh.

The small area around him was strangely void of snow and ice, and pleasantly warm in the cold night, so she drew even closer. The blonde kept his eyes focused on the stone, sending it a glare that would ignite if it could.

Blow, after blow, after blow. Left, then right, then again left, and so on, the boy trained. She had sat like that for another fifteen minutes, when he seemingly completed a series of blows. Just as he was about to start again, he noticed that she was here. Immediately turning around with a slightly sheepish and embarrassed smile, he quickly pulled up the rest of his robe, and put his cloak over.

"Sorry, didn't see you there." he spoke, voice surprisingly lively and jovial, even if it was very calm, a stark difference from most of the monks she had met. "What's your name? I'm Naruto." he fired off again, and strangely enough, she found herself answering.

"M-Mikase Shijimi." she somewhat meekly spoke, most of her fire lost to the cold around her, and the effort the boy put into his training.

"Ooooh, you're the Daimyo's daughter?" he mouthed to himself, as if surprised. "I...ah... I'm not really sure how to speak to royalty." he muttered, smiling sheepishly yet again. That seemed to be a common occurrence for him. Though she didn't mind the facts. Neither that he didn't know how to speak formally, as it was a refreshing change, nor that he smiled often.

"It's alright I suppose. But why are you training so late, and in this weather?" she asked him, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"It's warm enough outside I guess... and the reason I'm training is to break the bones on my hands." he stated calmly, though he raised his hand to forestall the questions to his sanity.

"Similarly to muscles, when damaged, if they can heal properly, human bones are strengthened at the damaged point. Due to the fact that I heal really fast, I can afford to train like this. I need to strengthen the bones on my hands and arms for the next stage of my training here. So, I stand out here and hit the slab of stone until it breaks." Naruto explained.

"But... but that could take all night. You're going to sit out here all night dressed in just that? While hitting stone?" she whispered incredulously, and Naruto laughed in response. "What's so funny?"

"You really know nothing of us, do you? I must admit, since you knew Chiriku-sensei, I expected that you knew something of our skills. Watch."

Quieting down immediately, Naruto took off his cloak, and placed it at one of the few dry places nearby, gesturing for her to sit down and watch. Walking over to a place where the snow was knee-deep, he sat down there, legs crossed and hands placed in the standard position for channeling chakra, left hand grasping the right from beneath, while the right had all it's fingers pressing the palm, apart for the index and middle finger which were pointing upwards, the tip of the index finger pressing to his lip.

For a moment, she watched, curious but nothing visible happened. And then she noticed the slow trickle of water coming away from him. The snow was melting in a one meter radius about him, while beyond that, it wasn't that hard to sense the warmth that he radiated. Said exercise continued for a few minutes, until a circle, two meters in diameter, around him was completely dry. Content with his work, Naruto stood up.

"How did you do it? Chakra?" Mikase asked, fascinated by the sight before her.

"Yes and no." Naruto cryptically responded. "I used my chakra to control my metabolism to increase the warmth my body produced, then, I focused it outwards to cool off. It's tricky, I only recently figured out how to do it without causing burns on various places on my body." he explained with a laugh towards the end. What he didn't mention was that it took him the better part of six months to do it, and that the first time, the heated blood had burst half the blood vessels in his arms.

"Aha." she whispered, slightly awed. She had seen ninja fight before, after all the Twelve Guardian Ninja were at the court most of the time, and she had convinced Father to convince them to train her a little, if nothing, to learn how to defend herself. Her skills were minor, but useful. Still, to think that someone younger than her dedicated so much work to developing himself, when she had basically coerced others to teach her, and then slacked off when it proved to be a bit harder than she expected.

"If you don't mind, I have to return to my practices. My bones have set themselves." he finally stated after a few moments, turning back towards the slab he was punching. Mikase merely nodded, turning around to watch him train in silence.

"He really is something, eh lady Mikase?" came a more familiar voice from behind her.

"Indeed Chiriku-dono. Indeed" Mikase responded. "How does he endure it?"

"He feels the need to prove that the trust we placed in him was not misplaced." Chiriku answered. "And he wishes to improve. Why though, I cannot yet tell. Why are you so interested?"

"I... I don't know. He intrigues me for some reason. I think... I think I'll renew my studies as soon as I return home" she answered

_(End flashback)_

She wasn't certain what it was back then that inspired her, but she, for one reason or another, felt the need to prove that she could do it. And the training she put herself through was harsh, but it gave results. Among which was the fact that her father, for all his political acumen, decided _not_ to put her into a political marriage. Likely because she became somewhat feared among the nobility. Besides, she wasn't even the oldest child, just the favorite.

The journey itself was quiet. The western road that led out of Konoha was often empty, as the only merchants that traveled there were the caravans that went between Konoha and Suna, and the occasional traveler. Ninja used the trees most of the time anyway. Still, the somewhat wide dirt road was easy to traverse, and the rapidly thinning forests let more and more light onto their path.

The skies had truly cleared up since yesterday, and the warmth that had fled before the rain was slowly returning, as the air grew consistently warmer. It was spring though, so none of them were overly optimistic about having warm weather. At best, it would be lukewarm.

"It's been a while since I've been on the open road." Naruto commented, taking a short chug from his waterskin, and offering it to Mikase.

"Likewise. I missed it, I'd have to say." she retorted, accepting his offer of water, and taking a much shorter sip. "What do you think of our escorts?"

"They seem capable." he offhandedly commented"Though how much still remains to be seen. I know Asuma-san is very good at what he does. I understand he helped your training along?"

"He is, and he did. Very capable man. A shame he's engaged, I think father would have persuaded him to marry me." she answered, adding the final though with a false sigh of regret, while behind them, both could hear Asuma's startled reaction. Of course, the fact that she burst into laughter a moment later conveyed her thoughts on the matter, and calmed Asuma down.

And so, time passed. The first two days of the journey, as they reached the Fire/Winds border, were mostly silent, them being split into groups. The landscape gradually turned from thick forest, to verdant grasslands, and then, finally, into an open desert as sand slowly replaced the grass beneath their feet. The weather remained somewhat cold, even in the desert, though the chief difference were the winds, the namesake of the country. Fed by the difference of air pressure between Fire country and the seas on the opposite of Wind country, the winds that blew here were harsh and merciless, grinding stone into fine dust and making it near impossible to build anything. Even shinobi maps had fewer than a dozen villages marked out. The ones used by merchants and travelers had two or three at best, as well as a few small oases scattered around.

However, that wasn't the entirety of the country. Along it's southern rim, separated by a chain of mountains, and only connected to the rest of the continent by a number of small passes, was a far livelier part, consisting of numerous meadows and small glades, all of it fed by numerous cold springs that sprung from the mountains. And it was here that the capitol of the country was built, nestled around a large bay, and open to trade, both by ship and by land.

Their goal was the nearest pass, protected by a fortress operated mostly by Suna ninja. After the political disaster that was the invasion, the Wind Daimyo made a number of concessions, in part to ensure that a mess like that didn't happen again... without directive from above of course.

However, the sight that greeted them at the fortress was a something far different from what they had expected.

Chouji was the first to spot it, the black plume of smoke rising in the distance.

"Hey... why is there black smoke coming from the fortress?" Chouji asked curiously, though a worried undertone clearly showed his feelings on the matter.

"Asuma-san?" Mikase asked, waiting for the leader of her escort to decide. After all, he had much more experience. Said jounin took a long drag out of his cigarette, taking the time to think

"It's on our way, and we better check to see what's happened." he finally stated. "Come on, we'll plan further when we get there."

It wasn't perhaps the wisest decision he had made so far, but he couldn't afford to split up his group out here, where they could easily get lost among the dunes.

Running rapidly over the dunes towards the fortress, it soon became apparent just what had happened... as a thick cloud of black smoke rose from it. The fortress had been overrun.

Increasing speed even further, with Asuma picking up Mikase to waste less time, the group reached the ruined fort.

It's massive wooden gates were broken, traces of burning visible at several places, though the walls around it themselves had a number of perfectly circular holes.

Wood wasn't a popular material in the desert as it warped from the temperature change easier than stone, but here for instance, it was used to erect the several houses which were now little more than embers and ash. And that's when the winds changed direction and they could finally feel the smell of ozone, that of burnt flesh. Easily a hundred corpses were piled up near the center of the fort, between the two gates, and set ablaze, which, along with the burning buildings, was what produced the blackened smoke.

Despite the need to empty his stomach, Naruto's mind went to work. A few corpses were scattered here and there, away from the piles, and weren't burnt. Traces of attacks on some of the canyon walls, scattered, but unidentifiable except as large scratches. He had no idea what could have caused something like this

The others were not as fortunate. Mikase was the first to lose her lunch, her own actions immediately pulling Chouji and Ino along, while Shikamaru merely turned very pale, but managed to beat the bile that was rising to his throat.

"Ino, Shikamaru. Break up and investigate. Naruto, Mikase, you stay here. Chouji, you remain with them" Asuma quickly barked the orders, the genin immediately tensing and doing as they were told.

"Who could have done something like this?" Mikase asked, wiping her mouth of the bile, and taking a short sip of water to clear her mouth of the taste.

"I don't know. But I get a really creepy feeling about this." Chouji commented and Naruto nodded in agreement. Something was wrong here. Terribly wrong.

As soon as Ino, Asuma and Shikamaru were gone, Naruto immediately broke off from the small group, going to the nearest unburnt corpse, dropping into a crouch right next to it.

The body was that of a male, dead between six and twelve hours, judging by the body heat. The sand hitai-ate on the forehead, combined with the traditional armor that kept the sands and wind away from the ninja's skin identified the man as a member of Sunagakure's ninja force.

"Uh..hm. Naruto-san, what are you doing?" Chouji asked, already slightly scared.

"Studying. I've already come to a number of conclusion about the events here, but we still have no solid clue as to who did such a thing. And I'm hoping to find something on the body to help me find out." Naruto responded. One thing was noticed by both... his voice.

Normally, Naruto's voice had been calm, but warm. Now that warmth was gone, and the sound of his voice had an edge to it.

"Chouji! Do you have a blade of some sort?" Naruto interrupted his observations on the monk's voice.

"Hai. Catch" he responded, quickly passing him a kunai. Naruto immediately slashed at the flesh near one of the arteries, hoping to produce some blood. And he wasn't disappointed.

"Poison as well" he muttered, studying the blackened blood that now adorned the kunai.

He barely had the time to react as he noticed a glint of light at the corners of his eyes, coming from the corpse. Barely evading the blade hidden somewhere, he realized that it wasn't some unseen enemy.

Having rolled away, he now realized a rather disturbing fact: the corpse he had moments ago slashed at was now rising, it's dead hand clutching a long, serrated dagger dripping with it's own blood.

"Well fuck." Chouji eloquently mouthed.

* * *

**Author's Ramblings:** And cut. Bet you weren't expecting _that_, huh? That was to all those who thought that they would be ambushed, or attacked by missing nin, or any such thing. Once more I tell ya, I don't do the usual.

And no worries, this won't be a complete cliché (I'm not 100% sure if this idea was used before, it on;y occurred to me recently).

Also, sorry for the cliffhanger, but it was the only good place to end the chapter without making it over 10k words long... and that's honestly somewhat hard to read.

I already planned the battle out, so no worries there, it should be out in a few days.


	4. And the Dead Walked Again

**Author's Ramblings:** Okay, the fight you've been waiting for. It will cover most of this chapter, along with some details that follow the battle. I'll be taking a while to explore the fighting style Naruto uses, as well as those of Mikase Shijimi, and only partly, the others present.

* * *

_Chapter 3 : And the Dead Walked Again_

"Well fuck." Chouji eloquently mouthed.

Certainly, the words very clearly described the situation, as almost every corpse that wasn't a charred husk slowly got up, all of them wielding various implements of war... and there was the scary part. Chouji had watched a few zombie movies, however these weren't the 'brains!', moaning and limping variant. Oh no, these were 'ninja' zombies apparently, as the dozen of them literally blurred away as soon as they were all up.

Naruto remained calm. To lose that calm was to get killed. What ever the hell those things were, their speed was impressive. It wasn't shunshin, that much he would have noticed, but high-speed motion, which was worse.

Once more, he saw just a glint, and all he had time to do was dodge. Backflip after backflip, he dodged as more an more projectiles landed in the spots he occupied just moments ago.

"Chouji! Get Mikase out of here! Find Asuma and the others! GO!" Naruto shouted during the short break as he had landed, only to roll away to avoid a massive axe crashing in the point he was at. But his staff was already broken and gone. A shame.

He didn't have time to think further as the one who had been pelleting him with projectiles appeared right over him in her gory glory, stabbing forward with a tanto. He was still in the air, no chance to dodge. _'Damn. No other choice'_

Cold harsh logic dictated his moves now. These were corpses. Corpses didn't tire, non-lethal damage didn't affect them as much, and if his hunch was correct, unless destroyed, they would move for as long as they had chakra.

Only a dozen or so centimeters away from his chest, the tanto was fast approaching. Faster than the corpse could follow, Naruto's hands thrust at the earth that was right beneath him, launching him straight over the flying ninja-corpse

"**Crumbling White Lotus!**" he shouted, dropping straight into the corpse with both hands. Rapidly moving, the first thrust with his fingertips severed the spine, the second, fists half folded broke the ribcage, while the final, full fists broke straight through, literally severing the two halves of it's torso. Immediately, he used his hands to push himself off, just in time to flip over another swing of the axe at him, and to notice one disturbing fact. Corpses did not just _sizzle_.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"PUT ME DOWN YOU FAT IDIOT!" Chouji once more ignored the insult at his weight. Pride set aside, survival was key now, and he did not want to be the one who explained to the Fire Daimyo just why his daughter had died.

And he still had no clue just where the hell Asuma, Shikamaru and Ino were. Considering how those corpses just came to life, they might even be.... no, he would not think of it. They were capable, they would be fine. What the hell was he doing? He had left behind a comrade. Well, not one that he knew well, but a comrade who had chosen to stay behind and fight of zombies!

"I SAID... what are you doing?" Mikase started to yell again, only for Chouji to stop still. Suddenly, they both heard an explosion and turned around to see Naruto standing, slightly burnt, but alive, hand pushed through the chest of one of the corpses while the other held a massive axe that it had been wielding seconds ago, right before said axe descended and bisected the corpse. A moment later, another explosion followed.

But there was no more time to stand and idly observe, as three of the walking corpses appeared around them. Chouji had already set Mikase down, and only heard the slight hiss as she apparently unsheathed her weapon, whatever it was.

Chouji wasn't stupid. Stupid ninja died quickly, and he had survived active service for three years. These things, whatever they were, were quick and powerful. He would think about just how Naruto obliterated them later, as now he had to do the same.

"Chouji, right? Cover my back." He heard the specific sound of a person jumping from his back. If the zombies didn't kill him, the Daimyo was...

Behind him, Mikase smirked confidently as her two weapons hissed in opening. The two metallic cylinders extended into two telescopic spikes that immediately locked into place through an unseen mechanism. Normally, such a weapon could only cause mild scratches, or a nasty piercing wound.

Her target was a large one, easily towering over her. Compared to the others, he was slow, lumbering, and the oversized kunai in his long hands were strong, but not fast. The first swing came straight at her neck, she dodged that one easy by ducking, straight into the way of the second one. However, not even that one had a chance, as those two spikes suddenly whipped, whistling as they went, at his left hand... and sliced clear through it. Then they continued moving, cutting his body to ribbons. One down.

Chouji however, didn't have the time to notice, considering that he had two on his hands.'_No time like the present_'

His hands moved into a handseal, while he whispered. The two corpses suddenly lunged forward, opting to stop his action.

"**Body Expansion Jutsu**"

Suddenly, the two corpses were no longer as big.. or rather, he had grown.

"**Great** **Palm Thrust**!" he bellowed due to his increased size, two palms slamming down atop the corpses before they even had a chance to do anything. A moment later, the jutsu faded away, returning him to his original size. He turned around to see a gaping princess standing atop a shredded enemy.

"Wow..." she barely mouthed, though her eyes quickly widened "Look out!"

Chouji could only watch as 'her ladyship' elegantly jumped on his shoulders and slammed two elongated spikes into something behind his back. It didn't take being a Nara clan genius to figure out what.

"Thanks for the save."

"You're welcome."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Within one of the few remaining buildings, one erected from stone, Ino was panicking. Armed with only a kunai, she was standing over Shikamaru's unconscious body, seeing as her teammate had taken a blow to the head. By what, she wasn't sure, but the fact that his head was unconscious, but alive was a good sign.

The fact that there were corpses walking towards the two of them was worrying enough. It wasn't the slow gait she would have expected, but a relatively rapid, and fluid motion, and each of them had some manner of weapon in their hands. Axes, knives, most of them were simple tools used, however, a few had kunai, and one even sported a large katana.

The two foremost, two male corpses lunged at her, and she barely deflected the attacks with the two kunai she held, if only barely. As she did so, she slashed at their arms, hoping to get in at least some damage, but it proved worthless. These were walking corpses, and loss of blood meant little to them.

Calming herself as much as she could, she knew she could only hope for Asuma to get here soon. So, she quickly popped a soldier pill into her mouth during the short brake between their attacks, and rapidly went through a few handseals, before managing to slam her hands into the hard, stone floor, barely avoiding another attack.

"**Earth Release : Dome Barrier Wall!**" she uttered, and quickly, the stone rose around her and Shikamaru, forming a solid barrier between them. The flare of chakra would also serve to call in Asuma. Hopefully.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_'How many of these things are there?' _Naruto soberly thought as he threw away the axe he had just used to cut apart one of the corpse-ninja. He had taken out two so far, and he had spotted, albeit barely, that Chouji and Mikase killed four others. He had seen twelve at first, which left six spotted, and likely a number of those he didn't spot.

His clothes had taken the brunt of the damage. The brown cloak was completely obliterated by the first explosion, and he had dodged the blast of the second. The orange robe he was wearing was smeared with black and crimson stains at several places, and he had several mild burns. But he was alive.

His instinct kicked in, and he jumped just in time to avoid the swipe of a large, metal fan.

Landing from the jump, he had a short chance to observe his opponent before she vanished. A female corpse, one that suffered almost no obvious damage, except for a blackened patch of skin on the right side of her neck. Sandy yellow robes covered a suit of armor, and her dead hands clutched the massive fan as she stood still for a mere moment. A deep groove was etched into the ground where he stood just moments ago.

Naruto's eyes widened as the fan unfolded, almost a complete semicircle extending almost one and a half meters from the handle... and worse still, he noticed that the ends were bladed, meaning that it wasn't just used as a helper for jutsu, but was a full weapon, attached to a length of chain, and now spinning fast enough to seem like a ring of black steel

And just like that, she vanished, and he only heard a near silent whistle in the air, his only indication that the massive blade-fan was aiming for his neck. Rolling forward, he manged to dodge another strike.

Again, she charged at him, forcing him on the defensive. That massive blade was no joke, and the corpse-kunoichi wielded it with great skill. Worse still, the strength needed to perform such a move meant that closing in was futile, except for a finishing blow. Naruto managed to dodge the blade again, but this time it came even closer. And he knew the next it would be closer still. He had to finish this, here and now.

Taking another few backflips away from her, he landed in a crouch, minimizing his exposed body area. Holding himself still on his right arm, his left hand immediately went to cover his right eye as he evoked one of the abilities that he had learned over the last five years. The beads on his arm glowed with a baleful black light as he opened his mouth.

"**Eye of Benzaiten**" he mouthed, letting out no sound. Or rather, he didn't hear it. Time slowed down, and he began to see the surface of the flying ring of death reduced to quickly spinning metal fan. And then it came, the incredible influx of information as his mind went into a state of battle trance, dropping all rational thought to process the sensory input of his sole remaining sense

_'Five. Body motions limited due to movements required to use fan, and slightly sluggish, delayed, half step back before each movement forward. Chakra enhanced speed, surpass own. Four. Angle of attack leaves at least one opening over or under the blades. Strength easily countered by blows to the joints. Three. Side roll evasion. Style of combat leaves post attack opening on the hand holding the fan's chain. Attack leaves opening of exactly 1.2 seconds. Usable opening found, ending trance.'_

He snapped out of it, all of his new found knowledge retained in his mind as the trance rapidly left him just in time to avoid another strike.

The fan sliced at the ground beneath him as he jumped up, an overhead axe kick slamming straight into the chain-holding arm, crushing the hand and releasing it's grip on the weapon that immediately flew away, slicing through one of the walls.

Relentless, he continued his assault with a spin kick from his landing, cutting the corpse off at the shins, and dropping it to the earth and ending the fight with a final, chakra empowered chop through the neck, decapitating the body. Immediately, he jumped back, and as expected, the familiar sizzle once more accompanied the explosion of the corpse.

"Great... just great." he mumbled, as he rolled away, avoiding even more kunai, this time joined in with shuriken and senbon needles

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ino!" Asuma shouted, cutting through yet another corpse, and rolling away just in time to avoid being blasted by the subsequent explosion. Ino wasn't as lucky.

She barely clung to her consciousness, but she still had enough fight in her to protect Shikamaru's unconscious body. The barrier had been broken at some point

"I can't hold them off much longer!" she shouted back, kicking off one of the corpses. Now she deeply regretted not taking the time to learn more elemental jutsus, as she had nothing in her arsenal that could kill the things that slowly, but surely advanced. Invading one's mind was quite useless if the mind was dead to begin with, and her added knowledge of poisons and anatomy was almost useless.

She slashed, and slashed and kept slashing, but the damage was minimal. A few cut tendons and fingers at best, and a number of wounds that should have been lethal a dozen times over before she finally understood it was pointless. But it keep them at bay, and away from Shikamaru's body. Finally, Asuma managed to slash through his own opponents, the trail of wind chakra going through them like a hot knife through butter.

"Finally." Ino breathed a sigh of relief, dropping to her knees after Asuma had cut through the last of the corpses, kicking them away before they exploded.

"You okay Ino? How's Shikamaru?" Asuma asked, still panting from the fight. There were six corpses attacking them in total, all were dead now. He didn't see them coming, he didn't hear them coming, but by god, he _smelled_ them coming. The smell of guts, blood and putrid flesh was hard to miss.

While the movements were jerky, and somewhat under what they would have done while alive, the corpse-ninja were impressive. He noticed, however, that none of them used any ninjutsu, or genjutsu, or pretty much anything apart from raw chakra enhancement. For some reason, these things reminded him of the puppets Suna's ninja were fond of using. But there were no strings, no presence guiding them. He would have noticed, sooner or later. So the question remained. How?

Irate and tired, he knelt down to pick up Shikamaru's body, and helped Ino up. He had to get back to the others. Hopefully, they would still be safe.

"Look on the bright side Ino."Asuma commented as the two of them walked

"There's a bright side to thing?" Ino loudly wondered.

"Yep. Mission rank increase means payment increase, which brings us to..." he trailed off, waiting for Ino to fill in the blank.

"SHOPPING!" Ino nearly squealed with happiness, the pain temporarily forgotten in the euphoria of planning her shopping day once she got home. Asuma shook his head, while noticing that Shikamaru twitched at the noise, even unconscious.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Any ideas?" Chouji asked curiously as Naruto kept studying one of the still whole corpses.

"A few. Nothing conclusive yet, though." the blond responded. They were lucky, he knew that much, as Mikase and Chouji had somehow managed to disrupt the exploding tags hidden beneath the corpse-ninja's clothing before they went off.

"Well there has to be something." Mikase muttered "Corpses don't just get up and walk about."

"Chouji-san, help me out here for a moment." he spoke, putting the male corpse he was studying into a sitting position. Quietly, Chouji held the corpse while Naruto took one of the nearby kunai and slashed through the clothes, revealing the skin on his back. To his growing concern, there was something there.

"What to make of this?" he quietly asked no one in particular as he studied the three pieces of paper that seemed to have been stitched to the corpses back. One was an exploding tag, that had been cut straight through, but the other two were completely foreign to him. Strange symbols which only barely resembled conventional seals he had seen so far, the work of a master, no doubt. And while he didn't know what exactly they did, he could guess at their purpose easily enough. It was after all, obvious. But the how, that was the issue here.

It was no easy thing to make a corpse move, he knew that much from his studies. After about three hours after death, without special substances, the body entered a state of rigor mortis, meaning that it would be impossible to make the fine manipulations needed for fighting like this, and by the time it completely relaxed, the nerves were irrevocably degraded, making any attempts at such control impossible.

The notion of puppetry had occurred to him, however, even with that, the bodies would have needed a lot of working over to function like that. And here, he could see no cuts anywhere. So what the hell did those seals do exactly? And better yet... why wasn't there a second backup for the exploding tags? Someone smart enough to leave a way to destroy the evidence should have thought of at least one more backup plan to destroy them... or maybe he wasn't looking at it from the right direction. No answers.

Why was this fort attacked in the first place? While important, it wasn't the only passage between the two regions of the country, in fact there were more than a few that would have been a better choice if someone wanted to move covertly. Then, after ruining it, to leave behind something that was obviously a trap...

_'Not enough information to make a sounds judgment' _he thought. And it was true, his knowledge didn't extend to politics and to the various groups that would cause something like this. He read the Bingo books occasionally, and listened to rumors, but that was mostly for his concern about the Akatsuki coming after him.

Still, he could tell a few facts. There was likely more than one attacker if the traces were any indication, as very few people in the world could use strength of such level that breaking in a ton heavy wooden gate is easy, masterfully use fire and wind jutsu, and finally sealing of such level. He sighed in annoyance. Why just once couldn't things be nice, clean and simple?

"Hey what's wrong Naruto-san? We're alive, aren't we?" Chouji asked. He was already somewhat relieved that they had survived.

"Yes... that's true I suppose." he answered calmly. "However, we still know nothing about those who did this, how they did it nor why they did it."

"I...see." Chouji near instantly deflated.

"Don't worry Chouji-san. I may not be a shinobi of your village, but Konoha holds a number of people dear to me. So does Suna, and I'd hate for any of them to come to harm needlessly. So, we'll get to the bottom of this, one way or another." he comforted the younger teen with a hand on his shoulder. Even if he had no clue just how they were going to do that.

"He's right, you know Chouji. We do have to get to the bottom of this." Asuma suddenly announced his return, carefully putting Shikamaru on the ground. "One of the Daimyo's bases should be on the other side of this pass, if it hasn't been attacked as well. We need to inform both the Kazekage and Daimyo, not to mention the Hokage as well."

"Wise. That way we're left cleared of any doubts." Mikase stated "And we'll need help with these... things" he added, her distaste at the corpses very obvious. It didn't help that the traveling kimono she was wearing was now stained with their blood, much like Naruto was.

"Well, we can't stay here anyway." Ino added her opinion. "We should tend to the wounds and leave."

Asuma silently nodded, and proceeded to look into Shikamaru's wounds, while Naruto did the same for Ino, Chouji and Mikase. He was no professional healer, but he could mend minor wounds. Fortunately, they were mostly unscathed physically, even if they were slightly shocked by fighting those things. He himself wasn't much better.

His bag was still in good condition, thankfully. He had thrown it aside when they first got here, not expecting to need it for a while. He was glad he did so though, because otherwise, it would have been destroyed. He even had a spare set of clothes inside. He had a number of thoughts running through his head as he pulled out the sealed cloak, though the most urgent ones concerned getting to safety soon. Staying out here was tempting the vultures.

Carefully, he had removed the seal tags from all of the corpses, for later study. Even if he couldn't figure it out, he knew to people who likely could. Though that would have to wait for a while.

Within fifteen minutes, they were ready, and Shikamaru was up, even though he thought they were pulling his leg with the zombies. Quietly, they moved forward through the pass, hoping that the next place they encountered had living people.

"What do you think of it?" Asuma's question interrupted his thougts

"I think that the people who did this were quite powerful. But I can't draw any conclusions yet. Things are too unclear." Naruto responded.

"True. Any ideas about those seal papers you took from the corpses? It doesn't take a master of seals to figure out they were behind this" the older man muttered, taking a long drag from a badly needed cigar. Even if he didn't show it, he was shaken up a bit by the encounter. It was all nice saying you weren't afraid of anything, but one look into those dead, glass eyes was enough to send shivers up his spine.

"Nothing beyond what you already said. Though I believe that Jiraya might know more. I"ll send them to him as soon as we make a break."

* * *

**Author's notes:**

If you're wondering why Ino looked like a damsel in distress here, it was because these were the worst possible opponents for her. Anything even remotely human with a human brain and anatomy, she can handle, but zombies are somewhat... beyond her.

Most of the monkish techniques were made thanks to a little research done by yours truly. If you want to know more, go do a little research yourself, as I hardly intent to serve everything sliced, diced and cooked to ya. Only new, original techniques/jutsus/abilities are described here. I don't want to take up too much space. Well, more than I already did.

Anyway, as a small tip, I've taken the Japanese names where they existed. You'll know what I mean when you find it.

Earth Release: Dome Barrier Wall

Type: Ninjutsu/Earth

Ranking: C -Rank

Range: Reach of hands

Effects and Description

By manipulating earth chakra, this jutsu turns the ground around the user into a semicircular dome around him or herself, used to ward off attacks for a while. The size of the dome, and it's strength depends on the amount of chakra used and the skill of the user.

Gift of the Hermit Group

Type: Unique Chakra

Ranking: None

Range: None

Effects and Description:

A special form of chakra similar to Natural chakra used solely by the monks of the seven great monasteries. Alone, it has no special properties that can be used, but it allows it's wielders to utilize a number of special abilities. Among shinobi, only Asuma Sarutobi has a degree of skill with it, and even he doesn't know enough to teach another.

It requires years (four at least) of dedicated, daily training to unlock and harness.

Eye of Benzaiten

Type: Combat Meditation Technique

Ranking: Undecided (around B rank by apparent difficulty)

Range: Personal/Self

Duration: up to 5 seconds (less than 5 means less information)

Special note:requires the Gift of the Hermit Group to perform

Effects and Description:

By temporarily sacrificing sensory input from everything but the one eye, and stopping every thought but those dedicated to analyzing the opponent through a trained form of combat meditation, the user is capable of discerning any visible weakness in the enemy's body, movement or form. During the five seconds it lasts, the body is vulnerable due to the lack of all other senses, however, the disruption in chakra flow necessary to achieve the state renders the user temporarily immune to visual genjutsu, and the increase in mental resources and reaction time due to the effects of chakra drastically increase defensive capabilities, but this is offset by the drop in sensory capabilities. In other words, if you can see it, you can stop it, otherwise, you might as well be dead.

Crumbling Lotus

Type: Martial Art / Fist technique

Ranking: C to high C depending on the striking point

Range: Hand-to-hand

Effects and Description:

A punch attack that relies on dealing multiple hits in rapid succession with one blow by landing the first hit with the fingertips, the second with the knuckles in a half-bent fist, and the last with a full fist, using both arms to attack..

The attack itself can't kill unless it strikes a critical area such as the neck, however, a strike to an unprotected stomach or the solar plexus will temporarily stun the victim.

At least three years of _conventional_ training are required to strengthen the hands and fingers so that they wouldn't brake from the blow.

Crumbling White Lotus

Type: Martial Art / Fist Assassination Technique

Ranking: High B to low A

Range: Hand-to-hand

Effects and Description:

An enhancement of the classical Crumbling Lotus that works by channeling excessive amounts of chakra into each of the six strikes dealt by the two hands, the first two piercing through any steeling the victim may have attempted(muscle reinforcement of any sort to lessen the strength of blows), the second two destroying whatever muscle was left in the way, while the final pair of blows then wreaked havoc on the internal organs.

Use of this ability is considered oath breaking for monks except under one of two condition:

1. Last resort to preserve self or others

2. To crush a life that would have disrupted others greatly

This skill is _never_ used outside of mortal combat as any hit to the torso is in nine out of ten cases lethal. A hit to the head is lethal regardless of the number of blows landing successfully.

Telescopic spikes

Type : Weapon/Tool

User: Mikase Shijimi

Description:

A pair of black metal cylinders that extend into a meter long spike each. Alone they are pretty much harmless compared to other weapons, but if poisoned, or if used in combination with the Flying Swallow, they become lethal.


End file.
